Fresh off of its first-ever Horizon League victory on Thursday, the Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team welcomes Cleveland State to BB&T Arena Saturday. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (5-10 Overall, 1-3 Horizon League)
Cleveland State University Vikings (5-13 Overall, 0-5 Horizon League)
Saturday, Jan. 16 – 7 p.m. (ET)
BB&T Arena (9,400) in Highland Heights, Ky.
TV: TWC SportsChannel (TWC 1311 HD/311) with Neil Sika (Play-by-Play) and Dave Cecutti (Analysis)
Radio: 55KRC (550 AM) with Jim Kelch (Play-by-Play) and Steve Moeller (Analysis)
Fresh off of its first-ever Horizon League victory on Thursday, the Northern Kentucky men’s basketball team welcomes Cleveland State to BB&T Arena Saturday (NKU Athletics Photo)
Fast Break Points
• NKU earned its first #HLMBB win with an 84-64 decision over Youngstown State on Thursday.
• NKU’s defense held the #HLMBB’s leading offense in YSU to just 64 points.
• NKU closes its three-game home-stand with CSU. The Norse are also in a stretch of 10 games where eight are at @theBBTarena.
• Three Norse are averaging 10 or more points per game this season, led by F Jalen Billups at 13.3.
• With a two-hand jam in the first half against Wright State, Billups became the 24th Norse to score 1,000 career points.
• Billups led the nation w/ 69.6% shooting last year, and is among the nation’s leaders at 64.3% (81-126) this year.
• Billups ranks among NKU’s all-time leaders in FG % (2nd, .636), blocks (5th, 118) & blocks per game (11th, 1.1).
• Billups is averaging an impressive 1.58 points per field-goal attempt this season.
• Billups and G Tyler White are climbing NKU’s all-time scoring list. Billups ranks 24th w/ 1,018 points & White is No. 32 (922).
• White dropped two treys against YSU and is now tied-9th all-time with Tony Rack’s 160.
• G Lavone Holland is second on the team in scoring at 11.7 points and leads the squad in rebounds (5.9) and assists (4.1).
• G Cole Murray has had the hot hand from long range, shooting 42.1% (32-of-76) from behind the arc this year.
• Murray is averaging a career-high 9.9 points per game.
• After flirting w/ double-doubles several other times, F Drew McDonald recorded the first of his career with 12 points, 13 rebounds at GB.
• In the last seven games, McDonald is averaging a team-best 12.0 points on 53.2 percent shooting (33-of-62) and 7.1 rebounds per game.
• In @HorizonLeague play, F Jordan Garnett is averaging 4.5 rebounds per game, which is up from 2.4 in non-conference action.
Northern Kentucky women at Detroit for league matchup
The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team will look to end its three-game road trip on a winning note on Saturday afternoon when the Norse take on Horizon League foe Detroit. Tipoff from Calihan Hall in Detroit, Michigan, is set for noon, with the game covered live on ESPN3.
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (10-5, 2-2 Horizon)
University of Detroit Mercy Titans (7-9, 3-2 Horizon)
Jan. 16 – noon
Calihan Hall (8,200) – Detroit, Mich.
TV: ESPN3
Series History: First meeting
Last Time Out: The Norse tied a season high by knocking down 12 three-pointers en route to a 75-71 win over Oakland on Thursday night. Kasey Uetrecht led the offensive output with 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Christine Roush and Sarah Kinch each knocked down four treys and Molly Glick went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.
The Norse shot 48 percent from long range on the night as four Norse finished in double figures. Roush had 16 points on the day while Kinch added 14 and Glick went for 10.
About Detroit: The Titans enter Saturday’s contest with a 7-9 overall record and a 3-2 mark in Horizon League play after an 89-71 loss to Wright State on Thursday. Rosanna Reynolds posted a team-high 19 points for the Titans to surpass the 1,000-point mark on her career.
Reynolds averages 16.1 points, six rebounds and 4.7 assists per game to lead the Detroit offense. Nicole Urbanick follows right behind at 15.9 points per game primarily as a perimeter shooter. Brianne Cohen has been Detroit’s spark off the bench, averaging 13.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest.
The Series: Saturday’s game will be the first ever between the Norse and the Titans, and will stand as the fifth new opponent the Norse have faced this season. NKU is 3-1 this year against first-time opponents.
Taking the Hits: Kasey Uetrecht had a strong showing against Oakland both penetrating and shooting from outside to compile 21 points on the evening. Her largest contribution came from the free-throw line, where she was 10-for-12 to set career highs in both free-throw attemps and made free-throws in a game.
Fast Break Points
• Northern Kentucky wraps up its three-game road trip through the Horizon League with Saturday’s game at Deteroit.
• NKU knocked down 12 treys and went 6-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first half in a 75-71 win over Oakland on Thursday.
• NKU has held its League opponents to 62.8 points per game, ranking third in the League.
• NKU has continued its dominating possession game into League play, posting a +6.8 turnover margin to lead the League.
• NKU’s overall turnover margin of +5.0 ranks 16th in the nation.
• The Norse have forced 15 or more turnovers in 14 of their 15 games this season, and have forced 88 errors in their last five games.
• The Norse rank third in the League in FG shooting (43.0%) and lead the League in FT shooting (76.5%).
• NKU’s 76.5 percent free-throw accuracy ranks 11th among all Division I programs.
• NKU’s bench continues to provide the pop, as the Norse reserves have outscored their opponent’s bench, 71-45, in League play.
• The Norse reserves outscored Oakland’s bench on Thursday by a 26-5 margin.
• F Kasey Uetrecht went 10-12 from the charity stripe on Thursday, marking career highs in both attempts and makes.
• Uetrecht’s 21-point game on Thursday marked a season-high for the sophomore.
• G Christine Roush knocked down four treys in a 16-point effort on Thursday, and continues to lead the team with 16.1 points per game.
• Roush leads the Horizon League and ranks 10th nationally in free-throw percentage at 90.5 percent.
• Roush is also strong on the defensive end, as her 14 blocks lead the team and rank 11th in the Horizon League.
• G Sarah Kinch knocked down a career-high four three-pointers in a 14-point effort against Oakland.
• Kinch’s four double-digit games this season mark a career high as well. Her 55.6 percent shooting from the field ranks second on the team.
From NKU Athletics
